


Reversal

by Tentaculiferous



Series: On Healing [3]
Category: Danny Phantom
Genre: Caretaking, Claustrophilia, Confinement, Constructed Reality, Gen, Introspection, Lotus Eater Machine, Mental Health Issues, Violent Thoughts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-16
Updated: 2021-02-16
Packaged: 2021-03-18 18:06:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 776
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29494032
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tentaculiferous/pseuds/Tentaculiferous
Summary: A look at things from Dan's POV.Dan had contemplated many, many possibilities for what he would do if (when, he promised himself) he managed to slip Clockwork's control. He wondered idly if Clockwork could see all the potential timelines as well. Timelines where he bludgeoned Clockwork into a puddle of ectoplasm using his stupid meddling staff, timelines where he slowly melted him, timelines where—well, there was so many potential Good Endings, wasn't there? Dan grinned to himself.[Like the other parts of this series, this can be read as a stand-alone or in any order with the rest.]
Relationships: Clockwork & Dan Phantom
Series: On Healing [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2113191
Comments: 4
Kudos: 13





	Reversal

Dan had contemplated many, many possibilities for what he would do if ( _when_ , he promised himself) he managed to slip Clockwork's control. He wondered idly if Clockwork could see all the potential timelines as well. Timelines where he bludgeoned Clockwork into a puddle of ectoplasm using his stupid meddling staff, timelines where he slowly melted him, timelines where—well, there was so many potential Good Endings, wasn't there? Dan grinned to himself. 

There was little enough to put a smile on his face these days. Right now he was in the extremely boring containment cell, supposedly because he needed to absorb ambient ectoplasm and remain in touch with reality somewhat. Dan was pretty sure Clockwork put him in here as a form of low-grade torture. Like Chinese water torture, only Dan was being drip-dropped to death with regular amounts of boredom and lack of stimulation. 

Maybe he could call Clockwork out on that. Demand a TV in this shitty cell, or something. He did enjoy needling his captor, implying he was the real villain and was mishandling Dan at best, actively torturing him at worst. It's not like there was much else to do in here. It was pester Clockwork, or rage in useless tantrums that just ended up giving him a headache. Then Clockwork would offer him the ghost equivalent of aspirin. This fake act of caring infuriated Dan. He usually totally lost it then, and made his headache even _worse_.

So lately, when he was in the cell and free from Clockwork's delusional little pocket dimension (and Dan hated, HATED that a part of him always craved to be back in there, with its happy scenarios and pleasing images of destruction and best of all, blessed unawareness of how thoroughly he'd been trapped and contained, beaten and utterly neutralized, made irrelevant. It wasn't REAL and he had to get out, if those things were pleasing than he had to make them a reality, he couldn't be so WEAK as to be pacified by pleasant daydreams.) he would spend his time trying to find a way out of his predicament, and inevitably devolving into fantasies of his success. It beat the headaches. 

And his favorite was one where instead of destroying Clockwork, he simply flipped the medal to its reverse side—where Clockwork was _his_ little pet stored safely in a thermos and brought out whenever he was bored. (That ambient ectoplasm thing had to be bullshit). Only he wouldn't be so weak and lazy in his torments, and he would spend 100% of his time controlling the reality of the pocket dimension. 

Most of the time Clockwork left Dan to shape the reality inside his prison dimension, only occasionally interfering to harass Dan with images of Jazz, Sam, and Tucker, and sometimes even his shitty parents. Other times he forced Dan to relive his days as an idealistic, naive, idiotic half-human protector of Amity Park. That wasn't the worst though. There was Pillow World. God. Dan shivered. That was truly Grade A torture, Dan had to give Clockwork credit for dreaming up that frustrating hellhole. 

Dan supposed he should be grateful that Clockwork didn't interfere more directly with the thermos reality. His lip curled. He wasn't though. To him it was just another sign of that bastard's cold indifference. As if Dan was a thing to be stored away and _ignored_. Like Clockwork had better things to do with his _time_.

It didn't matter though, he told himself. Let Clockwork be negligent. Let him be arrogant. Dan had all eternity to watch for him to make the one little mistake that would free him. 

"Dan." a voice called. The pale blue glow of Clockwork soon approached the outside of his cell. "Ready to go back in?" the voice asked. 

Dan sneered. "As if I have a choice." 

"You always have a choice." Clockwork said, his voice impassive. "If you would prefer more time out of the thermos and in this cell, that could be arranged—"

"SHUT UP!" Dan snarled. He was so sick of this son of a bitch toying with him. 

Clockwork sighed. "And you were doing so well this time." he said. 

It was true. Dan had sat in the cell quietly for most of his current stint, not engaging in the usual pointless attacks and howling and wailing, instead seeming to be quietly contemplating something. Clockwork doubted it had all been peaceful, given how often Dan grinned viciously to himself, but he'd had hopes that Dan was improving. It's not like he _wanted_ to keep Dan trapped in the thermos so long. 

Still, he supposed any change was a good sign.

**Author's Note:**

> As always, any feedback is appreciated ^^  
> Crit is welcome, as is pointing out any typos or spelling mistakes. Heck, I'd be happy for some old-skool flames, since it's like -10 degrees out T___________T


End file.
